Amid funding uncertainty, CSCU eyes new $350M Hartford campus for Capital Community College 

Robert Storace & Greg Bordonaro, Hartford Business Journal

As downtown Hartford landlords search for new tenants amid millions of square feet of empty office space, a major new prospect could be hitting the market soon.

Capital Community College (CCC) is considering a new downtown Hartford campus, school officials confirmed to the Hartford Business Journal, as its existing space in the former G. Fox department store building at 960 Main St. becomes increasingly outdated and in need of significant repairs.

Terrence Cheng, president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system, which includes CCC, said all options are on the table, but the preference would be to buy a building downtown and renovate it for a new campus.

The ability to do that, however, hinges on the availability of state funding. A building purchase and redevelopment would come with a hefty price tag — approximately $350 million — that may get pushback from policymakers, including Gov. Ned Lamont, as the state college system faces budget deficits and declining enrollment.

In his two-year budget proposal, Lamont set aside $250,000 for a post-pandemic study of the entire CSCU system, including its finances, enrollment trends and future facility needs.

Other options for Capital Community College, Cheng said, could include renovating existing space, leasing new space, or even building a new campus from the ground up.

CCC currently occupies 11 floors and 304,000 square feet of CSCU-owned space in the G. Fox Building.Capital Community would need about the same square footage in any new location, Cheng said.

He also stressed campus relocation efforts are in the early stages and that the only prerequisite is that Capital Community College remain in downtown Hartford to serve as an economic driver for the city.

“If you look at the revitalization of downtowns across America, higher education has much to do with it,” Cheng said. “Our students would be within walking distance of multiple companies and industries, both large and small, that can offer experiential learning. Our students can receive an excellent education, but also be part of the city’s and state’s workforce. There is a tremendous upside not just for our students and the companies, but also from an economic impact standpoint.”

Appropriate funding

The future campus upgrade is part of an ambitious new capital investment program CSCU is currently lobbying state lawmakers to support.

The plan — known as CSCU 2030 — was unveiled in January and outlines $2.1 billion in capital projects over a seven-year period, in addition to higher annual block grant funding to support new academic programs, student services and a free community college program.

In terms of capital investments, the proposal asks for $50 million in fiscal 2024 for the purchase of a property and design of a new CCC campus. It asks for an additional $300 million for the campus build-out in fiscal 2027.

It’s unclear if the CSCU 2030 plan will garner legislative support.

When asked if the Lamont administration backs it, Chris Collibee, director of communications for the Office of Policy and Management, said the Democratic governor’s two-year budget plan proposed in February recommends $253.3 million in capital funding in fiscal years 2024 and 2025 for CSCU, which oversees the state’s community colleges, four state universities — Central, Western, Eastern and Southern — and the online Charter Oak State College.

If approved, that funding would enhance CSCU’s ability to allocate and prioritize resources to address needed campus upgrades, Collibee said, “as well as those projects that help to meet the student demand for programs and services.”

However, Collibee also noted that the CSCU system has experienced an approximate 30% enrollment decline over the last decade, which could impact future funding decisions.

Capital Community College’s enrollment decline has been even more severe, Collibee said, down 43% from fall 2010 to 2,395 students today.

CSCU officials countered that capital improvements within the public college system are funded through state bonding, which has been restricted in recent years.

That has forced CSCU to use operating funds for capital projects, exacerbating its financial challenges.

In October, Cheng warned state lawmakers of a looming $220 million deficit in fiscal years 2024 and 2025 for the CSCU system, driven by unfunded pension and contractual obligations, declining enrollment and other factors.

Repurposing challenges

Regardless of the funding amount, Capital Community College’s campus is in need of an upgrade, Cheng said.

CCC moved into its current location in 2002, and the historic 105-year-old former department store property was last renovated 20 years ago.

The facility, Cheng said, doesn’t meet the school’s needs to support in-demand programs like nursing, and restrictions within the building create inherent repurposing challenges.

“The current facilities are not appropriate nor sufficient for that level of learning,” Cheng said. “During COVID, for example, students were doing clinical work in an auditorium with a leaking roof.”

In addition, Cheng said, some of the building’s equipment — including air handling units that provide heated and cooled air — have reached the end of their service life and need replacement.

A limited number of elevators also presents logistical challenges.

“With only five elevators servicing the 11 floors of the building, there is high demand for their use,” he said. “That leads to frequent outages for maintenance and repairs. The issue impacts the entire campus and creates bottlenecks.”

Upgraded space would also send a message that all students deserve an education in a quality campus, Cheng said, noting many pupils who attend the college come from challenged socioeconomic backgrounds.

“If we are serious about closing the equity and achievement gaps, there is value in investing in all our campuses,” Cheng said. “Decisions were made throughout the years that ultimately led to investments in other campuses, more suburban campuses around the state. It shows our values in where we choose to invest our money.”

Cheng said a significant portion of any new building will be dedicated to health care, since about 30% of Capital Community College students are enrolled in a health or nursing program.

There would also be significant space for business and IT programs.

Part of the goal of a new campus would be to create stronger partnerships with private industry, Cheng said.

Real estate options

Maintaining Capital Community College’s campus downtown would be a key priority for the city, which for years has tried to build up its image as a college town.

It’s had some wins and losses along the way.

A major victory came in 2017 when UConn debuted its new Hartford campus on Front Street as part of a $140 million investment. The satellite campus was formerly located in West Hartford.

UConn also has a large presence in Constitution Plaza, where its graduate business and other programs are located.

The University of St. Joseph in 2011 launched a new pharmacy doctoral program downtown. However, the West Hartford-based university, located on the city’s outskirts, relocated that program to its main campus last year.

Meantime, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in February put its Hartford campus on Windsor Street up for sale after the New York-based school scaled back its presence in recent years amid an embrace of virtual learning.

RPI said it plans to look for smaller space within the city.

Larry Levere, an office broker with Hartford-based Sentry Commercial, said Capital Community College has numerous options downtown depending on what path it chooses.

There are several empty buildings that could be suitable for redevelopment, including Rensselaer’s 13-acre campus, which has an eight-story classroom building and amphitheater, plus a parking garage and surface parking with 860 spaces.

The old YMCA building on Jewell Street has been vacant for years and the 304,413-square-foot mid-rise office/retail complex at 242 Trumbull St. was put up for sale last year amid a high office vacancy rate. Both of those properties are owned by Northland.

There’s also the empty former Xerox and state office building at 25 Sigourney St.

In terms of potential ground-up development, the U.S. General Services Administration is currently scouting downtown locations for a new $335 million federal courthouse building.

Last fall, the federal agency identified three potential parking lot sites for the planned 281,000-square-foot building, including 10 Ford St. and the properties located at the corners of Allyn, Church and High streets; and Capitol Avenue and Buckingham, Hudson and West streets.

Whichever sites aren’t chosen for the courthouse could be considered by Capital Community College, Levere said.

If CCC leases space it could target several office buildings with high vacancy rates.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2022, 23.2% of downtown Hartford’s 9.7 million square feet of office space was identified as available, according to brokerage firm CBRE.

“I think residents and students are critical to the vibrancy of downtown Hartford, so I am hoping that every effort will be made to keep CCC downtown,” Levere said.

Mental health in the construction industry

Construction Safety Week

A staggering statistic, one in five U.S. adults experience mental illness annually. In industries like construction, where safety risks are present daily, taking steps to provide resources and support for individuals to take their mental health seriously is critical. As the industry advances physical safety protocols, mental health and wellness are also becoming a key area of focus for construction professionals. 

Mental health in the industry

While further study is underway to assess contributing factors, it is known that the physical demands on a craft professional can take a noticeable toll on individual workers and can heavily impact the mental health of craft workers. According to a 2021 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 94% of workers in the construction and extraction professions have outdoor exposure, and 62.2% of workers in the industry are exposed to heights more than five feet off the ground. If not controlled, the hazards of the workplace can lead to physical injury or loss of coworkers and friends, causing mental health stressors on an individual. 

It is believed that mental illness and physical injuries lead to high rates of alcohol and substance abuse in the industry. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration collected data on drug abuse and found that in the construction industry, the rate of substance abuse is almost double the national average. The study found 15% of workers in the construction industry are impacted by substance abuse with 8.6% of people as the national average. This is also true of alcohol abuse where 12% of workers in the industry deal with an alcohol abuse disorder while the national average is 7.5%.

The impact of mental illness compounded with substance abuse leads to a high rate of suicides in the industry, specifically among men. A CDC report using the 2016 National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) to analyze suicides across industries found suicides among males have one the highest rates in the construction and extraction occupations.

Mental illness does not just impact the individual, it impacts everyone around that person, family, friends, coworkers and anyone else who interacts with that individual daily. The long-term impact can have serious implications for those relationships. 

Recognizing and normalizing mental health

Normalizing conversations on mental health in the industry can lead to destigmatizing those workers affected. The construction industry, in many ways, is still stuck with the mindset that talking about stress, anxiety and other mental health issues is a weakness. This mindset aligns with the idea that workers should be tough and able to deal with those feelings without help. This mindset is detrimental to the health and wellness of everyone on a job site. When this conversation shifts to recognizing and supporting individuals suffering from mental illness, the industry starts to become a safer environment for everyone.

“We have to keep reminding everyone that mental health issues in the industry are really common. The proportion of individuals impacted because of factors outside of the job site, incidents on the job site, elements of the job site, etc. compounded by substance abuse is significant,” said Kathi Dobson, Safety Director, Alberici Constructors.

How can companies support mental wellness?

Currently, many organizations offer support through EAPs, but there is more that can and should be done. Leaders can prioritize creating a safe space and a culture of trust and leading by example by prioritizing their own mental health.

“Everyone’s mental health is highly unique to themselves with no singular journey. People cope in different ways. It’s important for organizations to have space for every individual. You can’t force someone to take care of mental health. You can help support them,” Laurie Sharp-Page, Founder & CEO of Flourish Psychotherapy and author of Conscious Coping.  

According to Sharp-Page, companies can support their employees by creating a framework for how the team talks about mental health and creating clear policies on mental health days within their organization. The framework can include giving employees the space to have their feelings and to cope with feelings by providing resources and support. Policies should, at a minimum, acknowledge that prioritizing mental health is encouraged. 

Mental health resources

In the last few years, the Construction Safety Week team has put a strong focus on improving mental health and providing resources to companies and individuals. The annual themes for the campaign have centered on the importance of both physical and mental wellness in the workplace, how to create a safe and supportive environment for our workers and opening up conversations that help normalize the topic of mental health within the industry. In 2022, the executive team created a free, downloadable mental wellness field guide offering resources to support craft workers in the industry. 

Crisis Resources

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: (call, chat or text) 988

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 (to connect with a Crisis Counselor)

Veterans Crisis Line: (call, chat or text) 1-800-273-8255, Press 1 or https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/

Crisis Service Canada: 1-833-456-4566

For more resources on mental health, visit https://www.constructionsafetyweek.com/safety-culture/mental-health-resources/.

West Hartford expanding pedestrian and bike trail with grant funding

Michael Walsh

WEST HARTFORD — Construction is set to continue soon on the expansion of the Trout Brook Trail.

The Town Council last week appropriated a $1.1 million grant from the state Department of Transportation's local transportation capital improvement program to support phase 6 of the trail's construction, which would expand the paved pathway another 3,000 feet from Fern Street to Duffield Drive.

Ahead of the construction, which is set to begin around April 10 according to a presentation from the town, local officials will hold a meeting on April 4 at the intersection of Trout Brook Drive and Fern Street for neighbors and members of the public who'd like to know more about the project from the town's engineering staff. The meeting will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. with a rain date set for April 5.

Town Manager Rick Ledwith said the most recent grant-funded support of the trail is in addition to another $1 million grant the town received in November. That grant will now be used to support phase 3 of the project, Ledwith said, which will connect Jackson Avenue to Park Road.

That middle segment of the trail is key to connecting residents in the Elmwood part of town to Blue Back Square and West Hartford Center. The trail also connects residents who live near the center of town to Park Road and beyond.

"It’s certainly a recreational trail, but it’s also going to run from New Park Avenue all the way up to Asylum Avenue and maybe past Asylum," Ledwith said. "For folks that who may live on New Park Avenue or New Britain Avenue and want to do some shopping in Blue Back Square or the center. It provides some access to different economic parts of town."

Phase 7 of the plan, Ledwith said, would connect the trail farther north from Duffield Drive to Asylum Avenue, putting the trail at the lip of the former University of Connecticut property that developers are proposing to turn into a mixed-used concept described as a "neighborhood village of recreational, residential and retail use." The trail could someday connect through that property.

The town's economic development coordinator, Kristen Gorski, recently said the town's investment in the trail can be seen as a way to bring more activity to local businesses by moving people on foot to different parts of town.

"Our focus in the past and a more emphasized focus moving forward is the connectivity between districts and throughout town, as well as increasing opportunities for walking, as well as alternative modes of transportation," Gorski said in a recent interview. "It’s just that constant foot traffic and constant critical mass and base where folks don’t necessarily have to get into their vehicles to get to these businesses. It’s really another and easier way to get residents into businesses."

The town predicts the new segment of the trail will be substantially completed and available for public use sometime in July. The final completion of the trail, which consists of tree planting, turf restoration and more, could be done by August.

Former Fairfield official turns down plea bargain in fill pile case

Daniel Tepfer

BRIDGEPORT – A former Fairfield official turned down a plea bargain Monday in the illegal dumping case.

Brian Carey, 45,  the town’s former interim public works director and town conservation director, turned down a plea bargain of eight years, suspended after he served four years in prison and followed by probation.

“He is rejecting the state’s offer and looking forward to a trial,” his lawyer, John R. Gulash, told Superior Court Judge Kevin Russo.

The judge then continued the case to April 10 when jury selection is scheduled to begin for the trial of both Carey and Scott Bartlett, former public works superintendent.

Bartlett’s lawyer, Frederick Paoletti Jr., told the judge his client would need more time before making a decision and his case was continued to Thursday. There was no mention of what that plea bargain would entail.

Gulash and Paoletti declined comment as they left the Fairfield County Courthouse.

Carey and Bartlett are both charged in this case with numerous counts of illegally disposing solid waste and violating the regulations on the disposal of solid waste.

They are accused of allowing contaminated soil dredged from Owen Fish Pond to be used to build a berm around the town’s public works site and then trying to cover up that fact.

Over 40 truckloads of debris and dirt were removed from the Stratfield Road pond during a three-week period in 2018.

In a second trial, scheduled for the summer, Carey; Bartlett; Emmet Hibson, the town’s former human resources director; Robert Mayer, Fairfield’s former chief fiscal officer; and developer Jason Julian are charged with multiple counts of illegally disposing of hazardous waste and conspiring to cover up their actions in connection with the huge pile of debris left on the public works site.

In addition, Bartlett is accused of accepting bribes from Julian to allow him to dump contaminated soil on town property. Bartlett is charged in a separate case with larceny for allegedly stealing more than $30,000 from a disabled woman.

Mayer, is also charged with burglary, larceny and forgery charges in connection with the alleged dumping conspiracy.

Robert Grabarek, owner of Osprey Environmental Engineering in Clinton, is also awaiting trial in the case as part of the alleged coverup.

Joseph Michelangelo, Fairfield’s former director of public works, previously pleaded guilty to the illegal disposal of PCPs, multiple counts of receiving solid waste at an unpermitted facility, disposal of asbestos without a permit, making false representations and conspiracy. He is expected to be a key witness for the prosecution.

Developer eyes Bloomfield for a 522,000-square-foot warehouse

DON STACOM

The company that’s building a 530,000-square-foot Target distribution center in Windsor is now looking to put up a roughly 520,000-square-foot warehouse in Bloomfield.

A few nearby property owners say they’re concerned about adding traffic to local roads, but neighborhood opposition to NorthPoint Development LLC’s proposal has been extremely sparse.

NorthPoint hasn’t publicly identified any prospective tenant or tenants for the facility, which would be built along West Dudley Town Road.

But the Kansas City-based development company has a history of successfully leasing large distribution centers around the country, and currently controls nearly 150 million square feet of warehouse space in 15 states.

NorthPoint is looking for Bloomfield planners’ permission to erect a 521,886-square-foot building with 118 loading docks. The plan goes to a hearing by the planning and zoning commission April 4 at 7 p.m. Details on how to join by Zoom will be posted at shorturl.at/uFLW8.

The 55-acre property is mostly an open field on the eastern side of Dudley Town Road just across from where it splits off to Rescue Lane. NorthPoint has an option to buy the parcel from CT Valley Properties III, an affiliate of the Butler Co. and BCI Inc., a local landscape construction company headquartered on Marshall Phelps Road.

NorthPoint’s plan was approved by the wetlands commission earlier this year. The company’s local attorney, Thomas Cody, noted that the warehouse project is within the confines of a project approved in 2017, when the Butler Co. sought to convert the property into a sprawling contractor’s yard.

In NorthPoint’s formal application for special permits, Cody told the planning and zoning commission that Bloomfield’s plan of development specifically encourages warehousing, distribution facilities and corporate headquarters. The town has specifically encouraged such projects in and around areas where development is more prevalent as opposed to undisturbed sections, Cody wrote.

The warehouse would have parking for 206 trailers and about 360 cars, according to plans filed at town hall.

Anticipating questions about traffic, NorthPoint has commissioned a report by F.A. Hesketh & Associates, a consultant that is frequently hired on behalf of developers. The traffic study is expected to be part of NorthPoint’s presentation at the hearing. Cody wrote that it concluded the warehouse would create no traffic congestion or hazards on the roads.

Neighbor Nick Caruso said in a letter to the commission that he’s concerned about the effects though.

“Having lived in this area for 23 years and (been) impacted by the heavy truck traffic caused by the other large warehouse facilities in the area, I wish to ask the TPZ to keep the residents in mind as they review this proposal,” Caruso wrote. “There is no mention in this application that the facility also is within a few feet of a residential area. We are definitely in the neighborhood.

“The noise and traffic caused by a half-million-square-foot facility with 118 loading docks and 206 trailer parking spaces will be a nuisance to those of us living on a rural route (Filley Street and its side roads). Driving through the intersection of Blue Hills Avenue and Old Windsor Road is already slowed by the many trucks servicing the Amazon facility, as well as the numerous other warehouse facilities in the area,” he wrote.

Caruso noted that Filley Street and West Dudleytown Road are narrow, rural roadways.

“While Filley Street is pretty well maintained, it was not designed for daily, heavy truck traffic,” he wrote. “West Dudleytown Road is already poorly maintained and full of ruts and potholes. I cannot imagine that this road can sustain additional heavy truck traffic in its current state.”

NorthPoint previously won approval to build a 750,000-square-foot warehouse in nearby Windsor for Chewy, the pet supply company. Chewy dropped plans for the facility, and NorthPoint has scaled the building back to 530,000 square feet and announced the tenant will be Target.

NorthPoint operates warehouses ranging from about 190,000 square feet to a behemoth 1.67 million-square-foot in Algonquin, Ill. Its operations stretch from Florida to Rhode Island and from Minnesota to California.